Dehydration and Stroke: How Are They Linked?

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One of the biggest rules of thumb to follow for good health is to drink plenty of water every day. Drinking water can help prevent complications from dehydration — a condition that can lead to even more serious health problems, including a stroke.

At HeartCare Associates of Connecticut, LLC, our skilled cardiologists specialize in high-quality medical care for those who experience a stroke. We also take a proactive approach to lower your risk for stroke and other potentially life-threatening conditions.

What you need to know about strokes

A stroke occurs when there’s disruption in the flow of blood to your brain. You may experience a stroke if you have a blood clot that blocks an artery or if the blood vessels leading to your brain become narrow due to disease or aging.

When your brain lacks oxygen-rich blood, nerve cells can quickly begin to die. Without immediate medical intervention, your risk for severe mental and physical disabilities increases significantly. Many people also die every year due to stroke.

Causes of dehydration

Dehydration is a condition where you lose more fluids from your body than you take in. This loss of fluids interferes with your body’s ability to function properly.

You might be at risk for dehydration in general if you don’t drink water every day. Dehydration also occurs when you engage in physical activities like sports in hot weather or because of underlying health issues that cause persistent diarrhea or vomiting.

Children and older adults are more susceptible to dehydration because of a low water volume in their bodies. Older people may become easily dehydrated when they have minor illnesses or infections.

The link between dehydration and stroke

Being dehydrated affects your body in many ways. Without enough water in your system, your blood can become thick and may not circulate as well.

Narrowed blood vessels make it more difficult for the thickened blood to get to your brain and increase your risk for a stroke.

On the other side of the coin, people who stay well hydrated tend to recover from a stroke better than those who don’t drink enough fluids.

Stroke prevention tips

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend making important changes to your lifestyle now to reduce your risk factors for stroke. Stroke prevention tips include:

Drink enough water for your body type

Most people know to drink six to eight glasses of water a day to stay healthy. However, the amount of water you should be consuming should be based on your individual body.

To stay hydrated, you should divide your body weight by two and drink that much water in ounces each day. For instance, if you weigh 200 pounds, you should be drinking 100 ounces of water daily.

Manage your weight

Being overweight or obese can significantly increase your risk for stroke. Aim to reach a healthy body mass index (BMI) by eating a healthy diet of natural foods and eliminating sugar and processed foods as much as possible.  

Engage in physical activity

Get at least 30 minutes of exercise to stay fit. Take walks, play sports, or find another activity you like to do to keep your weight in a healthy range and keep your blood circulating.

Quit smoking

Smoking can narrow your blood vessels and make a stroke more likely. If you can’t quit smoking on your own, we can recommend a smoking cessation program that helps you kick the habit for good.

If you have risk factors for stroke, don’t put off an evaluation. Schedule a consultation online or call the HeartCare Associates of Connecticut, LLC office near you today.

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4 Ways to Prevent Hypertension

An estimated one in three Americans have hypertension (high blood pressure), and many aren’t even aware of their condition.

At HeartCare Associates of Connecticut, LLC, our skilled cardiovascular specialists offer comprehensive medical care to help you get your blood pressure under control. We also prioritize preventive services that can lower your risk for developing hypertension in the first place.

Why you have hypertension

Your blood pressure is a measurement of the force of your blood against the walls of your arteries. Prolonged pressure inside these blood vessels can ultimately lead to artery damage, heart disease, and even premature death.

There are many underlying factors linked to hypertension. In primary hypertension, your blood pressure increases gradually over time for no identifiable medical cause.

In secondary hypertension, a variety of lifestyle habits and medical conditions can contribute to elevated blood pressure, including:

  • Smoking
  • Obesity
  • Poor diet
  • Excess alcohol use
  • Kidney disease
  • Thyroid disorder

Stress can also play a role in secondary hypertension, especially if your daily stress levels are out of control.

When to get help for hypertension

Unfortunately, hypertension causes no symptoms in the early stages. This is why many people have high blood pressure and don’t know it.

Symptoms like dizziness and headaches can appear as the condition progresses. However, it’s likely that damage to your arteries and heart is already happening when you experience these symptoms.

Having routine blood pressure screenings is the only way to know how healthy your blood pressure is. You should have this noninvasive, painless test at your annual physical and regularly throughout the year, especially if you have a family history or other risk factors for hypertension.

Prevention tips for hypertension

Even if your current blood pressure levels are healthy, there are still things you should be doing to maintain good blood pressure.

Our heart experts at HeartCare Associates of Connecticut, LLC recommend starting with these four tips to prevent hypertension and its complications:

1. Follow a heart-healthy diet

A heart-healthy diet includes fresh, whole foods that are low in salt, sugars, and fat and high in fiber, such as beans, nuts, and fish. Try to eat plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains and limit your intake of packaged and processed foods.

You can also look for guidance from the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) plan sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

You should also practice portion control and good nutrition, so you can lose excess pounds and maintain a healthy body weight in the long term.

2. Get up and move every day

A sedentary lifestyle can increase your risk for hypertension. Schedule time into your daily schedule to take a walk, work out at the gym, or stay engaged in other physical activities for at least 30 minutes.

Even if you’re limited in what you can do because of other medical issues, there are plenty of heart-healthy exercises you can do in a chair or your bed to maintain healthy blood pressure.

3. Quit smoking and other bad habits

While it can be hard to quit your addiction to nicotine, quitting smoking can greatly reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease. Our providers can recommend smoking cessation tools that help you kick the habit for good.

You should also be mindful of how much alcohol you drink, and don’t take any drugs that aren’t under the supervision of a medical professional.

4. Learn to manage stress in a healthy way

Stress may be impacting your health more than you realize. More science-backed information is coming out about the immense health benefits that mindful practices like meditation and breathwork have on the body.

Incorporating stress reduction strategies into your daily life can not only provide ongoing stress relief — you can also reap benefits like improved overall health and happiness.

If you need help managing hypertension, call the HeartCare Associates of Connecticut, LLC office near you or book an appointment online today.

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Why Do My Leg Veins Hurt?

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The veins in your legs have a difficult job. Every day they must fight against the force of gravity to move blood from the lower half of your body back to your heart. When your veins aren’t functioning properly, it can cause pain and other complications that can put your cardiovascular health at risk.

At HeartCare Associates of Connecticut, LLC, our cardiovascular specialists offer diagnostic testing services on-site to assess your leg vein health. If you’re experiencing pain, it’s important that you get a prompt diagnosis and the treatment you need to improve your vein function.

Why pain develops in your leg veins

Healthy veins carry blood to your heart with the help of muscle contractions. Inside your veins are small valves that ensure blood flows only in one direction.

When these valves are weak or not working correctly, they can allow blood to flow backwards. Blood can pool inside your vein and cause the vessel to enlarge. Enlargement in the small veins is known as spider veins.

Enlargement of bigger veins describes varicose veins. These veins tend to bulge out from under the surface of your skin. They can also feel hot to the touch and eventually cause pain.

Another source of leg vein pain is deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This condition develops when a blood clot forms in one of the deep veins of your legs. You may be at increased risk for DVT if you have underlying medical conditions like an inflammatory disease or a blood clotting disorder.

What to do about vein pain

If you have occasional discomfort in the veins of your legs, you might find some relief by walking around or elevating your legs above your heart when resting.

If your vein pain is sudden or severe, it can be a warning sign of a blood clot. You should schedule an evaluation with our team at HeartCare Associates of Connecticut, LLC if you have leg pain that you can’t treat on your own.

We offer diagnostic imaging tests to assess the flow of blood in the veins of your legs and identify what’s triggering your symptoms. Using the results of your testing, our providers customize a treatment plan to relieve your pain and its underlying cause.

Our team can also address varicose veins if you’re unhappy with the appearance of your legs because of the bulging, twisted veins.

Treatment options for damaged leg veins

There are several ways we can treat the conditions that cause pain in your leg veins. One option is to take blood-thinning medications to make it easier for blood to flow throughout your body. You might need this type of medication if you have or are at risk for having blood clots.

Other vein care treatments we offer include:

Radiofrequency ablation (RA)

Radiofrequency ablation therapy uses radio waves to heat and destroy varicose leg veins. Blood reroutes to nearby, healthy veins.

Venefit™

Venefit is an endovenous catheter ablation technology that uses radiofrequency energy to destroy damaged veins.

VenaSeal™

VenaSeal uses a medical glue to close damaged, enlarged veins.

Sclerotherapy

Sclerotherapy involves injections of chemical agent into damaged veins. The chemical irritates the nerve and ultimately causes it to collapse.

Ambulatory phlebectomy

Ambulatory phlebectomy is a surgery to remove damaged veins through very small incisions.

Laser therapy

Laser therapy uses precision lasers to break up spider veins, so they are less visible on your skin.

To lower your risk for problem veins in your legs, our team may also recommend compression stockings, which keep blood moving back to your heart. We also offer topical creams that soothe tired legs and keep them looking young and healthy.

To schedule a diagnostic evaluation for vein pain in your legs, call the HeartCare Associates of Connecticut, LLC office near you or book an appointment online today.

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How to Plan a Diabetes-Friendly Meal

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Making healthy food choices isn’t always easy, but if you have diabetes, it’s essential that you plan ahead.

At HeartCare Associates of Connecticut, LLC, our team of physicians offer complete diabetes care. Not only can we ensure you have the medications you need to control diabetes, but we can also help you make the necessary lifestyle and diet changes you need to stay in good health.

Understanding diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic health condition that develops when your body can’t process the sugar (glucose) from your diet correctly. Typically, your body produces the hormone insulin to convert sugar into the energy your body needs to function.

When you have Type 1 diabetes, your body doesn’t make insulin to support this process. People with Type 2 diabetes can make insulin, but not enough to control blood sugar levels. Your body may also not be using the insulin it produces efficiently.

Having high blood sugar levels for an extended period of time can ultimately lead to serious health complications, including nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy), vision loss, and even premature death.

Why what you eat matters

When you’re diabetic, it’s important that you limit the amount of sugar you eat in your daily diet to prevent spikes in your blood glucose levels.

You also need to make the right diet choices to ensure you maintain a healthy body weight and to lower your risk for heart disease and other complications of diabetes.

While those with Type 1 diabetes will need daily insulin to control their condition, they still need to eat a well-balanced diet to prevent high blood sugar levels.

If you have Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes (a condition where your blood sugar levels are high but not high enough to be considered diabetes), you may be able to control your condition without medication. We can help you create a diet and exercise plan that regulates your blood sugar levels naturally.

Planning diabetes-friendly meals

Your diabetes diet should include fresh foods that are rich in nutrients but low in calories and fat. Ideally, you should incorporate as many vegetables, fruits, and whole grains as possible into your diet to keep your blood sugar levels stable.

You should also eat heart-healthy foods like fish, avocados, nuts, and low-fat dairy to lower your risk for heart disease and stroke that diabetes can cause. Eating these foods can also make it easier to lose weight and maintain your weight loss results in the long term.

In addition to choosing healthy foods, you also need to pay attention to when you eat. Missing meals can cause changes in your blood sugar levels that create complications.

We recommend that you eat three meals a day, paying attention to your portion size. Regular meals help your body use insulin more efficiently, so you can avoid blood sugar highs and lows.

What not to include in a diabetes diet

Certain foods can not only complicate your diabetes, but they can also increase your risk for heart disease and other chronic health issues.

Foods you should avoid adding to your diabetes diet include:

  • Sodium
  • Trans fats
  • Saturated fats
  • Cholesterol

Learn how to read food labels, so you can make better dietary choices when meal planning. Be aware that a lot of processed products contain high amounts of sodium and unhealthy fats, even if they are marketed as “healthy.”

Our providers can work with you on a nutrition plan that incorporates the right foods into your daily diet and teach you how to measure out your food portions. While the task can seem daunting at first, the more you practice the easier it will be to follow a diabetes-friendly diet.

Schedule a diabetes consultation to learn more meal planning tips. Call the HeartCare Associates of Connecticut, LLC office nearest to you or book an appointment online today.

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What Do Heart Palpitations Mean?

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Any changes to your usual heartbeat can be alarming. Even occasional heart palpitations can make you worry that something serious is wrong with your health.

At HeartCare Associates of Connecticut, our experienced team of cardiologists offer on-site testing services to uncover the root cause of heart palpitations.

We also work closely with you to identify treatments you may need to restore your heart’s rhythm and lower your risk for more serious cardiovascular complications.

Why you may have heart palpitations

Heart palpitations describe a fluttering or pounding feeling in your chest. You may also feel as if your heart is skipping beats or that it’s beating too fast.

Many people experience heart palpitations during physical activities and strenuous exercise. You may also develop heart palpitations because of:

  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Strong emotions
  • Certain medications
  • Hormone changes

In most cases, heart palpitations aren’t a sign of a serious heart condition. However, to protect your long-term cardiovascular health, you should schedule a diagnostic evaluation with our team at HeartCare Associates of Connecticut if you experience frequent palpitations, even while at rest.

We also recommend an evaluation if you have symptoms that accompany the palpitations such as fainting, chest pain, severe dizziness, or shortness of breath. These issues can be signs that you have an arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) that may require treatment.

Diagnosing the cause of heart palpitations

To learn more about what’s triggering your heart palpitations, we perform a physical exam and may order blood tests to check your hormone levels.

You may also need diagnostic tests like an electrocardiogram (EKG), which records information about the electrical activity of your heart. If the EKG doesn’t provide enough information about your heart health, you may need to wear a Holter monitor for 24 hours or more to record more details about your heart.

We also offer exercise stress testing and chest X-rays on-site to determine the cause of your heart palpitations. Based on the results of your testing, our cardiology team creates a treatment plan to reduce your symptoms and protect your heart’s long-term health.

Treatment options for heart palpitations

For occasional heart palpitations, you may not need any treatment. Our team can suggest lifestyle changes that help reduce stress. We can also refer you for professional counseling if you need help managing depression.

If testing identifies an underlying arrhythmia or heart disease, you may need to make changes to your diet to improve your heart health and lose excess weight. Our team offers comprehensive nutrition services to ensure you’re giving your body the nutrients it needs to stay healthy and making the right food choices to protect your heart health.

More serious heart conditions may require medications or surgery. Our cardiology team specializes in different types of heart surgeries, including coronary bypass procedures, stent placement, and pacemaker placement. 

We help you make the most informed decision about your treatment options for heart palpitations that result from underlying cardiovascular conditions. Whether or not you need surgery, we provide support and guidance every step of the way. 

To schedule a diagnostic evaluation for frequent heart palpitations, call the HeartCare Associates of Connecticut office nearest to you or book an appointment online today. 

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3 Ways Your Diet Affects Your Heart Health

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All too often, we neglect the importance of good nutrition until we’re faced with a diagnosis of high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

At HeartCare Associates of Connecticut, our team of heart specialists understand that what you eat – or don’t eat – impacts your cardiovascular health. That’s why we offer customized nutrition programs and weight-loss services to get you back on track with a heart-healthy diet.

Our physicians also provide resources that help you make better food choices now, so you can prevent heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases later.

3 key ways your diet plays a role in heart disease

Heart disease is a leading cause of premature death in the United States. While some underlying contributors to heart disease are out of your control, one of the biggest known factors is your diet.

Here are three ways a poor diet can significantly increase your risk for chronic heart disease and other serious health complications:

1. Too much fat

Your body requires a certain amount of fat to function optimally. However, too much fat can have a profound effect on your physical health.

Trans fats found in many processed foods like doughnuts and packaged cakes can increase your risk for type 2 diabetes. Eating too much saturated fat in things like beef, pork, butter, and cheese can lead to elevated cholesterol levels.

Cholesterol can eventually build up on your blood vessel walls and affect how well blood can flow to and from your heart.

Mono and polyunsaturated fats are the healthier fats you should incorporate into your diet in place of saturated and trans fats. These fats are found in salmon, avocados, olive oil, and sunflower seeds and can help reduce high cholesterol.

2. Too much sugar

Your body uses the sugar it gets from your diet and converts it into the energy your cells need to function. Consuming too much sugar can throw a monkey wrench in this process and increase your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and obesity-related complications.

The natural sugars found in fruits are much healthier than processed sugars in soda and cookies. However, to protect your heart health, it’s important that you follow a well-balanced diet that also incorporates leafy greens and other non-processed, no-sugar ingredients.

If you already have diabetes, you really need to stay on top of your diet to lower your risk for heart disease, nerve damage, and other diabetes complications. To keep your diabetes well controlled, be sure to take your medications as directed by your doctor and regularly check your blood sugar levels.

3. Too much sodium (salt)

Your body needs some amount of salt to maintain a proper balance of fluids, transmit nerve signals, and relax muscles in your heart and throughout your body.

Too much salt can lead to excess fluid buildup that puts pressure on your heart, increases your blood pressure, and increases your risk for chronic heart disease.

Following a low-sodium diet means eliminating prepackaged foods, processed meats, and salty snacks. Learn how to read labels when grocery shopping to ensure what you buy isn’t loaded with sodium, and opt for fresh vegetables and fruits as much as possible.

If you need to make changes to your diet but aren’t sure where to start, schedule a consultation at HeartCare Associates of Connecticut, LLC, today. Call the office nearest you or book an appointment online. 

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The Link Between Obesity and Heart Problems

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Obesity is a chronic problem in the United States, affecting the long-term health of 36.5% of the adult population. This condition can increase your risk for a wide range of chronic illnesses, especially cardiovascular disease.

At HeartCare Associates of Connecticut, LLC, our team of cardiovascular specialists offer solutions to fight obesity and protect your heart health. Losing even 5% of your body weight can significantly lower your risk for heart disease and other health complications.

How obesity contributes to heart disease

There is a strong link between obesity and factors that contribute to heart disease. When you’re overweight or obese, you may be more likely to develop coronary artery disease, a condition that describes blockages in the vessels that carry blood to your heart. This condition can lead to stroke and is often the result of:

Excess weight can also put unnecessary pressure on your blood vessels and heart, interfering with proper blood circulation and causing enlargement in the heart’s ventricles. Ventricle enlargement (ventricular hypertrophy) can increase your risk for heart failure.

Evaluating your risk factors for obesity-related heart disease

There are two ways to determine if your weight contributes to your risk for heart disease – measure your body mass index (BMI) and your waist.

BMI

Your BMI is a mathematical formula that calculates your height and weight to determine your risk factors for obesity. If you have a BMI over 25.0, you’re overweight. If your BMI is 30.0 or over, you’re obese.

Waist circumference

Your waist circumference is a measurement of your waist, the area just above your navel. This measurement gives an indication of how much abdominal fat you have.

Women with a waist circumference over 35 inches and men with a circumference of 40 inches or more may be at increased risk for heart disease.

If your weight puts you at risk for heart disease, there are things you can do now to protect your long-term heart health.

Making changes for your heart health

Our team at HeartCare Associates of Connecticut offers customized solutions for treating obesity and its effect on your cardiovascular health.

We start by helping you make heart-healthy food choices that support safe weight loss and ensure you’re giving your body the nutrition it needs to stay healthy. Our team works closely with you on dietary modifications you can make now and carry with you for the rest of your life.

In general, you should focus on incorporating more fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean meats in your daily diet. You should also limit your intake of processed foods, saturated fats, sugars, and alcohol.

We can also help you start a daily exercise routine, so you can get at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day. Exercise not only helps you lose fat and maintain a healthy weight, but it is also essential for good heart health.

Staying accountable

Through regular weigh-ins, our team can ensure you’re staying on track with your weight-loss goals. We can also help you modify your plan as you achieve each of your goals.

Our office features advanced screening technologies to evaluate your heart health before and after weight loss. We offer on-site blood work and other testing services to identify high cholesterol, diabetes, and other conditions that obesity can cause.

If you need help losing weight, call the HeartCare Associates of Connecticut, LLC, office nearest to you today or book a consultation online.

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What Is Hypertension and What Can I Do About It?

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Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a condition that can lead to a wide range of long-term health complications. The most troubling part is that you can have hypertension for years without knowing it because symptoms tend to develop only when the damage is done.

That’s why our heart specialists at HeartCare Associates of Connecticut, LLC, offer preventive blood pressure screenings on-site. By regularly checking your blood pressure levels, we can identify signs of hypertension in the earliest stages and give you the educational resources you need to get it under control.

Why you have hypertension

Hypertension affects nearly half of the population in the United States. What does it mean exactly to have high blood pressure?

Your blood pressure is the force of your blood against the walls of your blood vessels. In hypertension, the force is too high, which can damage the vessels and increase your risk for cardiovascular complications.

There are two classifications of hypertension – primary and secondary.

Primary hypertension

In primary hypertension, your blood pressure increases gradually over time, but there’s no identifiable cause of it. Factors that can contribute to primary hypertension include:

  • Aging
  • Stress
  • Smoking
  • Unhealthy diet
  • Weight challenges

Primary hypertension is the most common type that people develop in their lifetime and, in some cases, it’s preventable.

Secondary hypertension

Secondary hypertension is high blood pressure that results from underlying illness. Those who have kidney disease or thyroid disease are at increased risk of developing hypertension.

Hypertension treatment starts with change

The initial treatment we use for hypertension focuses on lowering your blood pressure levels naturally. To do this, our heart specialists work closely with you on a management plan that helps you make important lifestyle changes.

If you’re overweight, we can recommend a healthy, nutritious diet plan that supports weight loss and also your heart health. We can also suggest a daily exercise routine that boosts blood circulation and can lower your blood pressure levels.

When stress is a contributing factor to hypertension, you will find that increased exercise can help lower your stress levels. There are also a variety of mindfulness exercises, such as breathing techniques, meditation, and yoga, that you can practice to better manage your stress.

When lifestyle and diet changes aren’t enough to control hypertension, you may need medications. It’s important that you take the medications as prescribed and implement the diet and lifestyle changes that we recommend to keep your blood pressure levels healthy.

Ditching the bad habits

Unhealthy habits, like smoking and excessive alcohol use, contribute to hypertension and can ultimately lead to heart disease, stroke, and other health problems. If you’re not able to quit smoking on your own, our providers can recommend programs that help you quit for good.

You should also limit your alcohol consumption to help lower your blood pressure levels. We can provide guidance on how much is too much, so you can prevent high blood pressure, liver damage, and other long-term complications.

If you’re not in the habit of visiting with your doctor regularly, it’s important that you stay committed to scheduling regular blood pressure checks with our team.

We can also screen for hypertension-related cardiovascular conditions to identify concerns as early as possible. With the right treatment plan, you can manage your blood pressure and any hypertension side effects you experience.

Schedule a blood pressure screening today to lower your risk for hypertension complications. You can call the HeartCare Associates of Connecticut, LLC, office nearest to you or book an appointment online. 

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The Link Between High Blood Pressure and Stroke

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In the United States, stroke is a leading cause of severe, long-term disability and death among men and women.

To reduce your risk for stroke and the high blood pressure that causes it, our team at HeartCare Associates of Connecticut, LLC, offers comprehensive preventive screenings and other services on-site.

Understanding high blood pressure

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, describes elevated blood pressure within your arteries, the vessels that carry blood to the heart and other tissues of your body.

You can have either primary or secondary hypertension. In primary hypertension, your blood pressure is elevated for no identifiable reason. This type of high blood pressure typically develops gradually over time due to weight challenges, poor diet, and smoking.

Secondary hypertension occurs because of an underlying medical condition, like adrenal disease, thyroid disease, or kidney disease.

When blood doesn’t flow easily through your arteries, it can lead to damage in the vessels and increase your risk for heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, and stroke.

What to know about strokes

A stroke occurs when something interferes with blood flow to your brain. Even if your brain is deprived of oxygen for only a few minutes, it can lead to the death of nerve cells and irreparable brain damage.

Without immediate treatment, you may be left with mental or physical disabilities because of a stroke. You may also be at risk for premature death within minutes of having a stroke.

Warning signs of a stroke include:

  • Numbness
  • Stumbling
  • Clumsiness
  • Blurred vision
  • Slurred speech
  • Noticeable facial drooping

What’s the link between high blood pressure and stroke?

Untreated high blood pressure can damage, block, or rupture the arteries throughout your body.

As your arteries become weaker from this type of damage, you can develop a blood clot (ischemic stroke) or experience a rupture (hemorrhagic stroke) in the arteries that supply your brain with oxygen-rich blood.

You can also have a transient ischemic attack (TIA) if a blood clot temporarily limits blood flow to your brain. These attacks are also known as a mini-stroke, which can be a warning sign that you’re at risk for having an actual stroke.

Stroke prevention starts here

At HeartCare Associates of Connecticut, LLC, we specialize in stroke-prevention services to protect your overall health.

As part of your prevention plan, we may recommend one or more of these strategies:

  • Losing weight
  • Quitting smoking
  • Managing stress
  • Reducing alcohol intake
  • Increasing exercise 
  • Taking medications to control high blood pressure

We also offer carotid ultrasound screenings to check your arteries for blockages or narrowing that can lead to a stroke. We can also help you manage diabetes, a chronic condition that can cause damage to your blood vessels and increase your risk for stroke.

Stroke rehabilitation

If you’ve already had a stroke and need help recovering, our team can work with you on a rehabilitative plan. The goal of rehabilitation is to restore your mobility after a stroke so you can lead a full and active life.

Learn more about the stroke-prevention services available at HeartCare Associates of Connecticut, LLC, by calling the office nearest you today or booking an appointment online. 

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Can Diabetes Be Prevented?

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Your lifestyle plays a big part in the development and management of diabetes. While not all types of diabetes are preventable, how you live and what you eat makes a difference.

At HeartCare Associates of Connecticut, LLC, our cardiovascular specialists offer comprehensive management services for diabetes. We give you the tools to make the lifestyle and dietary changes necessary to support your health and prevent certain types of diabetes.

Our other goal is to reduce your risk for heart-related complications of diabetes, such as heart disease and stroke.

Preventable and non-preventable diabetes

There are four types of diabetes – Type 1, Type 2, prediabetes, and gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, and even with a healthy lifestyle, you can’t prevent it. With the other three types of diabetes, there are things you can do to lower your risk for developing them.

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic disease that causes your body to mistakenly attack your pancreas, the organ that produces the insulin hormone. Insulin helps convert the sugar from your diet into the energy you need to function.

Without sufficient insulin, the sugar levels in your blood rise too high. This can lead to blood vessel damage, nerve damage, and other long-term health complications.

Many people develop diabetes in childhood, but you can also be diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as an adult.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body doesn’t produce as much insulin as you need or doesn’t properly use the insulin it produces. This leads to high blood sugar levels that can increase your risk for nerve damage, heart disease, and stroke.

Lifestyle factors like a poor diet, lack of exercise, and weight challenges contribute to Type 2 diabetes. These factors also contribute to prediabetes, a condition where your blood sugar levels are high, but not high enough to be considered diabetes.

Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes describes a rise in blood sugar levels during pregnancy. This condition isn’t always preventable, but women can work with their obstetrician to lower their risk factors for it.

Typically, this type of diabetes resolves after childbirth. Lifestyle and diet changes can help prevent gestational diabetes and manage the condition if you get it.

Options for diabetes prevention

Our team at HeartCare Associates of Connecticut, LLC, provides comprehensive heart evaluations for people who already have diabetes. We perform blood work, echocardiograms, and other advanced heart testing to ensure your heart is free of diabetes-related damage.

We also customize a health care plan to lower your risk for prediabetes, Type 2 diabetes, and diabetes heart disease. Our office features nutritional counseling and obesity treatments in-office, so you can learn how to make changes to your diet and incorporate more exercise into your life.

If you have diabetes, you should also keep up with appointments with your primary care provider to ensure that your condition is well-controlled and that the treatments are working well. You also need to continually monitor your blood sugar levels at home to stay on top of diabetes.

To schedule a screening for heart disease, call the HeartCare Associates of Connecticut, LLC, office nearest you today or book a consultation online. 

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